Fen Jue

The three elders seated beside Xiao Zhan were equally incredulous. A year ago, he had still been at the third stage of Dou Qi, and now he had reached the seventh?

Such speed was simply unheard of.

"Hehe, truly congratulations..."

The three elders secretly glanced at Yao Wan beside Xiao Zhan. Though they reluctantly offered their congratulations, they could not help wondering whether Miss Wan had secretly fed Xiao Yan some miraculous pills, allowing him to soar once more after being a useless good-for-nothing for three years.

But in the end, such thoughts were only speculation. It was enough to keep them to themselves.

They might not even have dared to discuss it in private.

After all, the person standing behind Xiao Yan now was a Dou Wang-level expert, not someone a few Da Dou Shi like them could afford to offend.

Now that she had seen what she wanted to see, Yao Wan looked at the young man and woman walking side by side below the stage, flicked her sleeve, and turned to leave.

Only after Yao Wan had left the training ground did the elders look at Xiao Zhan in silence.

"Heh."

Xiao Zhan chuckled. Truly, a good horse was ridden by others, and a kind man was bullied by others. Now that he had broken through to Seven Star Great Dou Shi and even had hopes of reaching Dou Ling, these old fellows had far fewer snide remarks to make.

Reaching Dou Zhe from the third stage of Dou Qi in a single year?

What kind of madness was that?!

Most of the young men and women below the stage thought the same.

Yet the test result was right before their eyes, leaving them no room to argue.

"Big Brother Xiao Yan, you're amazing! You've already become a Dou Zhe, while I'm only at Dou Qi Ninth Stage!"

Xun Er stayed at Xiao Yan's side like a chirpy little sparrow, yet somehow, she was impossible to dislike.

"It was just luck..."

Xiao Yan gently shook his head. Others might not know, but he understood just how difficult it had been to restore his Dou Qi to its peak in merely a year—or rather, half a year.

Half a year of tempering his body and half a year of cultivating Dou Qi—neither could have been absent. Only then had he achieved something that even he considered a miracle.

As he spoke, Xiao Yan subconsciously glanced toward the raised platform again. Yet apart from his father and the elders, the lovely figure he sought was nowhere to be seen.

Had Miss Wan gone back already?

For no reason at all, Xiao Yan felt a slight sense of regret.

He had wanted to go up and boast to her properly, but what a pity.

Still, at least he had not disappointed her, right?

Noticing that Yao Wan had quietly left the platform, Xiao Xun Er instinctively hooked her arm around Xiao Yan's.

"Big Brother Xiao Yan, what are you looking at?"

"I'm looking at Father. See? His clothes are all wet. He must have accidentally knocked over his teacup just now."

Xiao Yan replied calmly.

Old Yao, hiding within the Storage Ring, burst into amusement. This brat had gotten smarter—he had learned to use his own father as a shield.

"Mm..."

Xun Er pouted her cherry lips. As clever as she was, she naturally knew whom Big Brother Xiao Yan had wanted to see.

But since that was the truth, she was too embarrassed to expose it directly and could only let Xiao Yan brush it off.

Just as Xiao Yan let out a breath of relief, he heard Old Yao snickering softly beside his ear.

"Teacher, what are you laughing at..."

Guilt made Xiao Yan's face flush red.

"I'm laughing because some people aren't just improving quickly in cultivation—they're getting more cunning too..."

And as Xiao Yan swaggered away with the goddess of the entire Xiao Family on his arm, it naturally drew a chorus of wails and groans from everyone else.

Xiao Mei watched them longingly, but she could only sigh before turning and leaving as well.

Xiao Yan did not spend long being affectionate with Xun Er before returning to his residence.

"Teacher, now that I've cultivated to Dou Zhe, what about that cultivation technique..."

"Oh? Which one do you want?"

"Well... the one Teacher mentioned before, the one that can evolve?"

At Xiao Yan's words, a strange expression flashed across Old Yao's face, and unexpectedly, he fell silent.

"Teacher, what's wrong? Don't tell me you made that cultivation technique up to fool me?"

Seeing Old Yao's expression, Xiao Yan could not help asking anxiously.

"That cultivation technique can indeed evolve. I did not lie to you about that."

"Then..."

"But it's very dangerous. By my estimate, your chance of successfully cultivating it is probably only twenty percent."

"Twenty percent...? It can't be that low, can it..."

"I'm afraid it is that low."

Old Yao looked at Xiao Yan and finally sighed.

"Teacher, can you tell me roughly how this cultivation technique is cultivated?"

Old Yao rubbed his dry palms together. After hesitating for a moment, he said softly, "The conditions for this cultivation technique's evolution are related to the Heavenly Flames I mentioned before."

Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes and remained silent, listening closely.

"Flame Mantra can indeed evolve, but the prerequisite for its evolution is using Heavenly Flames as materials. Every evolution requires devouring a Heavenly Flame!"

Old Yao's voice was slightly hoarse. "Heavenly Flames are inherently violent, destructive things. Not only are they rarely seen even once in a hundred years, but even if you find one, who can guarantee that you can successfully devour it? Back when I obtained the Bone Spirit Cold Flame, I nearly got burned into nothingness."

"What is truly terrifying is that this cultivation technique must devour all kinds of Heavenly Flames... Just one Heavenly Flame can torment a Dou Emperor expert until they wish they were dead. I truly dare not imagine what it would be like if one person possessed two, or even more than two, Heavenly Flames within their body."

Looking at Xiao Yan, Old Yao hesitated before asking, "Do you still want to learn it?"

Xiao Yan could not help falling silent.

"Teacher wants me to cultivate Flame Mantra?"

"...Yes."

Old Yao was silent for a moment before admitting, "Yes."

"Why?"

"Fen Jue once vaguely recorded that multiple Heavenly Flames could forge a new body capable of housing a soul."

"Teacher wants to be revived?"

"Nonsense. As long as a person's soul remains, of course they want to be revived."

Old Yao snapped irritably. After a moment, he sighed again. "Attachment to this world is the same for everyone."

Xiao Yan said nothing.

After a long while, he suddenly asked, "Then what if Miss Wan is the goal?"

Old Yao was stunned by the seemingly random question. It took him a while to understand.

"Are you sure you want to compare yourself to that girl?"

"I wouldn't exactly call it a comparison... Maybe I'm just asking?"

Old Yao gave him a strange look before saying, "...Difficult."

"That girl has extraordinary talent, the Living Flame protecting her, Soul Power no weaker than mine, and an even more terrifying force behind her. The Jia Ma Empire we're in now does not even count as an ant to them."

"I see... So there's no hope for my entire life?"

Xiao Yan felt deeply disappointed, yet unwilling to accept it.

"If you cultivate Fen Jue, then you might have a chance."